Depressible drip guard for closure top liquid containers



Dec. 3, 1957 I J. SILVER 2,815,146

' DEPRESIBLE DRIP GUARD FOR CLOSURE TOP LIQUID CONTAINERS Filed Juiy I4, 1955 XIX/# 4 7 ATTORNEY United States Patent DEPRESSIBLE DRIP GUARD FOR CLOSURE TOP LIQUID CONTAINERS Julian Silver, Scarsdale, N. Y.

Application July 14, 1955, Serial No. 522,044

1 Claim. (Cl. 220-90) This invention relates to a depressible drip guard for closure top liquid containers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a depressible drip guard adapted to be fitted in the opening of a liquid container and to be extended thereabove when the closure cap or cover is elevated so as to provide means with which the brush can be cleaned as it is withdrawn from the container and the liquid thereof directed and returned to the container without either the liquid or the brush engaging with the top rim of the container so as to deposit liquid thereon in such a manner that upon the cover or cap being placed upon the container, it would become stuck thereto.

It is another object of the invention toprovide a depressible drip guard for liquid containers which can be easily inserted and attached to the interior of a paint can or neck of the bottle and retained in such a manner that it is automatically elevated out of the paint can or bottle when the cover is detached and wherein the same is formed in such a manner that drainage of the liquid will result so that it is directed to a point below the upper rim of the paint can opening or bottle and that the excess of the liquid runs down a wire and drips directly inside of the can or bottle so as to thereby prevent dripping of the liquid on the outside of the container.

It is still another object of the invention to provide depressible drip guard for the top of liquid containers which is formed of a wire of substantially circular shape and which will be inclined upon being elevated out of the opening so that the flow of the liquid over the wire will be downwardly and toward one side of the opening and will be further drawn into the bottle as a result of surface tension connecting the stream of the liquid from the brush with the surface of the contents of the bottle or can.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a drip or splash guard adapted for use on paint cans and which can be applied to bottles containing finger nail polish and the like whereby to eliminate the sticking of the paint can cover or bottle top to the bottle, and whereby the cover and the bottle cap can be removed from the can or the bottle with little effort and without the need of inconvenient methods or tools, with which to get the can or bottle opened.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a splash guard for liquid containers to prevent liquid from being splashed or forced over the edge of the container upon being stirred with a stirring paddle or stick and wherein the diameter of the guard is less than the diameter of the opening so that the stick does not come in contact with the rim of the container or bottle.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a depressible drip or splash guard for closure top liquid containers which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to apply to the container, automatically made available upon removal of the cover or bottle cap, durable, compact, eflicient and effective in use.

For other objects and a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a paint can with a drip guard constructed according to one form of the invention and extending out of the can with illustration being made as to manner in which the brush is wiped across the guard to rid it of excess paint;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the attachment removed from the can;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View of a can and the attachment as viewed on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view similar to Fig. 3 except that the cover has been placed over the opening in the can, and the drip guard depressed into the can;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the paint can and with a drip guard therein constructed according to another form of the invention and serving as a splash guard to keep the paint and stirring stick from contact with the rim of the container;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the drip guard shown in Fig. 5 removed from the can;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a bottle top with a drip guard constructed according to another form of the invention and disposed in the neck thereof;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the drip guard shown in Fig. 7 and removed from the bottle top.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a still further form of the invention.

Referring now to the figures, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, 10 represents a paint can having a top opening 11 in which a cover 12 may be tightly fitted. A drip guard indicated generally at 13 is secured to the interior of the can by solder 14 adjacent to the top opening 11 and under the inwardly extending rim flange 15. This drip guard has an arcuate attaching portion 16 by which it is secured to the interior of the can, an inwardly bent offsetting portion 17, to clear the inwardly-extending rim flange 15 of the can and upwardly bent upright portion 18 that causes the wire to be extended upwardly through the opening 11 and to which inclined loop 19 is connected over which a paint brush can be drawn so as to rid the same of excess paint. The loop portion 19 is of less diameter than the opening 11 so that its portions thereof lie inwardly of the rim flange 15 and any paint that is removed from the brush will flow downwardly along the loop since the loop is inclined and will leave the loop inwardly of the rim 15 without contacting the rim. The free end of the loop 19 closes upon the upright portion 18 so that the liquid will tend to run downwardly along the opposite sides of the loop and toward the upright portion 18. It finally enters the can at a point below the opening 11, the wire causes the liquid to return to the can withoutcoming in contact with the rim due to the smaller diameter of the loop from which the liquid drops by gravity and due to the remainder following the loop by surface tension.

When the cover 12 is applied to the opening, as shown in Fig. 4, the spring wire drip guard is forced downwardly or depressed into the top of the can through the opening 11, The cover will bear against the upper end of the upstanding portion 13 and the inwardly bent offset portion 17 will be deflected downwardly so that the guard is held within the can and under tension. Due to its own force, it will be returned out of the can upon removal of the cover 12 from the opening 11.

In Figs. 5 and 6, there is shown a modified form of the invention wherein the drip guard need not be secured to the interior of the can by means of solder. According to this form of the invention, the drip guard is indicated generally at 20 and has two attaching portions, 21 and 22, which are of arcuate shape and which rest against the side wall of the paint can throughout a substantial distance therealong. The arcuate portion 21 has an inwardly offset portion 23 from which extends an upright portion 24. The arcuate portion 22 has an inwardly offset portion 25 which has an upstanding portion 26. A loop portion 27 is connected between the upstanding portions 24 and 26 and extends in an inclined manner when elevated through the opening 11. This loop portion 27 is of less diameter than the opening 11 to keep the stirring device from splashing the paint upon the rim of the can and the device from contacting the same.

This drip guard can be fitted into the can through the opening by simply drawing the ends of the loop portion and the upstanding portions 24, 26 together toward one another so that the arcuate portions 21 and 22 can be conveniently and easily extended through the opening 11 into the can. Upon the ends of the loop portion being released, the arcuate portions will engage the sides of the interior of the can and be frictionally held therewithin. The cover 12 is placed on the can and the loop portion will be depressed into the can in the same manner as the drip guard 13 is depressed, and as illustrated in Fig. 3.

In Figs. 7 and 8, there is shown a still further form of the invention, and a drip guard 30 comprises a spring coil attaching portion 31 of more than one turn of the wire and which is forced into the neck of a bottle 32 so as to engage the inner side thereof below its opening 33. This attaching portion has an inwardly bent or offset portion 34 with an upstanding portion 35 thereon from which a loop 36 extends. The end of the loop has a downwardly bent formation 37 to make the end of the loop portion smooth so that a brush cannot catch on it.

This drip guard is particularly adapted for use in a bottle containing nail polish. The liquid on the other side of the loop will flow downwardly on the upstanding portion 35 Without contacting the edge of the bottle opening and thus be drained into and returned to the interior of the bottle. This loop 36 is of less diameter than the opening 33 of the bottle.

As shown in Fig. 9, the drip guard 40 comprises a loop portion 41 of less diameter than the opening of a can 42. The ends of the loop 41 respectively have depending extensions 43 and 44. Each of these extensions is sufficiently long to extend to the bottom of the can. The extensions 43 and 44 respectively have shoulder portions 45 and 46 adapted to engage under the inturned lip edge 47 of the can that forms the opening and further respectively have outwardly bent feet portions 48 and 49 that engage the bottom of the can. The length of the extensions is such that the shoulders 45 and 46 will be forced against the underside of the lip 47 due to the spring action of the extensions when the feet are on the bottom of the can. The extensions are oppositely bowed and when they are forced under the lip 47, they are further outwardly bowed and upon release of the guard, they will resume their original shape and force the shoulders upwardly against the underface of the lip edge 47. This action will hold the drip guard in place within the can and at the same time allow the loop portion 41 to be forced down through the opening in the can when the cover is placed thereover. The loop portion extends outwardly from the shoulder in such a manner as to be inclined when the cover is removed from the can and the loop allowed to extend upwardly therefrom. As with the other guards, this guard is formed of spring wire.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided a depressible drip or splash guard adapted to fit Within the opening of a paint can or bottle in such a manner that as the can cover or the bottle cap is applied, the portions of the guard that may project through the opening are depressed into the opening of the paint can or bottle. The guards are made of spring wire such that they can be bent and such that they will restore their shape so as to again extend upwardly out of the can or bottle opening for use above the rim of the can or bottle and in such a manner that they are inclined so that a draining action is effected upon the liquid which is removed from the brush and at the same time a stirring device is prevented from contacting the edge of the can. The liquid will follow the wire that is of less diameter than the opening within the opening and in such a manner that it can lead through the opening without being deposited upon the rim or edge of the opening so that when the cover or cap is applied, it will not adhere to the can or bottle top.

It will also be apparent that a simple means has been provided for the attaching of the drip guard to the can. It can be permanently fixed by solder or can be removably inserted and retained by simply compressing the attaching portions to extend the same through the opening and upon being released will hold the drip guard sufficiently so that the looped portion can be depressed without the attaching portion being disturbed from its connection with the interior of the can or bottle.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A closure top container and a depressible drip guard for said container comprising an arcuate attaching portion fixed to the interior of the container, an inwardly bent offsetting portion extending from one end of the attaching portion, an upstanding portion on the inner end of the inwardly bent portion extending upwardly through the top opening of the container, and an inclined loop portion extending laterally from the upstanding portion and extending over the opening of the container and outwardly thereof, said loop and upstanding portions being depressible through the opening when engaged by the cover or cap to force the portion downwardly through the opening of the container, said loop portion being formed of a single coil of wire substantially closed upon itself and its free end lying at a point adjacent the upper end of the upstanding portion, the diameter of the loop portion being less than the diameter of the container opening to prevent a brush or stirring stick from contacting the edge of the container opening while serving a rest or guide for the brush or stirring stick.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 571,438 Harlow Nov. 17, 1896 1,580,936 Wansner Apr. 13, 1926 1,833,212 Gilmartin Nov. 24, 1931 2,342,454 Coyliondro Feb. 22, 1944 2,645,377 Bosley July 14, 1953 2,648,460 Tatter Aug. 11, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 654,140 Great Britain June 6, 1951 

